<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You Got It Wrong by Kryon</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545617">You Got It Wrong</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kryon/pseuds/Kryon'>Kryon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, i posted this on a whim, kinda slow burn?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:41:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kryon/pseuds/Kryon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of her father, a former mechanical engineer at SHIELD, Nora Hughes is left with his inheritance and legacy. By pure coincidence, a once thought dead mechanical AI Ultron is trying to rise from the ashes of defeat and they find their paths cross. Nora just wants to survive, while Ultron rebuilds in hiding in Nora's secluded house she inherited from her father. What happens when Ultron slowly starts to feel fond of this human? What happens when Nora starts to think he's not so bad?</p><p>UPDATE: I am updating/re-writing all chapters that will be published at the same time as the new chapter. I recommend re-reading the whole thing! See chapter notes for more details.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ultron (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), ultron/oc, very minor wanda/vision</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. What Comes With Inheritance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am currently re-writing the story (some things will stay the same, others will change drastically) and will update the chapter notes when the update is posted!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the light of recent events, it was no surprise to Nora to be back to her childhood home - though what did come to a surprise, was that it was now hers along with everything in it. These events... gods opening up wormholes in New York, alien spacecraft showing up in London, and now most recently - murderous robots putting a city in the sky. The Avengers...S.H.I.E.L.D and then finally, to some extent, her father - caught in the middle.</p><p>“My condolences Miss Hughes.” an unfamiliar man in a black suit said. Nora gave a small smile and nod, they were empty words to her.</p><p>Her father’s funeral reception. Full of men and women in black suits, none who were recognizable to her. All S.H.I.E.L.D probably. The only other person in the room who she knew was her mother, there for emotional support.</p><p>“How much longer” Nora whispered to her mother as she tucked a stray strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ear.</p><p>“Just speeches and people should start filtering out.” she murmured back.</p><p>Nora sighed. She just wanted to be alone to figure all this out. Why would her father, a man long divorced from her mother and a man she had not seen in person since she was 10, would will every one of his possessions to her after his death?</p><p>A woman in a simple back dress tapped on a standing mic in front of the altar of her father, the canvas printed with his warm smile surrounded by candles and flowers. The soft air of murmurs settled into silence as all looked to the woman.</p><p>“Thank you everyone for coming to this celebration of the life of Robert Hughes. He was a brilliant man and even more, a wonderful friend and father.” At this Nora couldn’t help but roll her chocolate eyes, but she said nothing. “We offer this moment for friends and family to come and speak a few words about our beloved Robert. Miss Hughes, would you like to start?”</p><p>Nora felt a shock go through her as she started to internally panic. Everyone looked at her. She let out the breath she was holding and gave a quick nod. When she was behind the mic she gulped and looked around at the crowd.</p><p>“I suppose I should thank you all for coming...it’s nice to see that Dad had so many...friends.” She paused at the last word. She bit her lip as she tried to figure out what to say. The silence was long and awkward.</p><p>“Look, I, uh to be honest am not quite sure what to think about all this.” She started with sudden confidence filling her. She looked from the floor out to the crowd. Her mother facepalmed.</p><p> </p><p>“My father was absent most of my life. I haven’t seen him in over 13 years....but I remember he would send me postcards, photos, and letters. Ha... thinking of it I think he sent me a photo of him and Tony Stark that was signed.” there was a light chuckle in the crowd and she became more confident in her words. “What I do know about him is that he loved his work and he dedicated himself fully to it... Completely to it... The last time I saw him was at my college graduation a few years ago. He couldn't stay for the whole thing, of course, being as busy with work as he was.”</p><p>Nora pressed her lips into a line as she felt the surge of anger come over her.</p><p>“I guess what I am trying to say is that he was a great man, I just wish he could have been a better father.”</p><p>Nora left the mic and went straight for the door, quickly squeezing past people and avoiding everyone’s eyes. When she made it outside she walked around to the side of the house where an old wooden picnic table was. She sat there with her head in her hands for the rest of the service.</p>
<hr/><p>Nora didn’t look up when she heard someone sit across from her.</p><p>“Mom... can I please just....have some space?” she sighed.</p><p>“I sure as hell ain’t your momma.” A man responded. Nora quickly looked up to see the famously black man with an eyepatch. Nick Fury. “Look Miss Hughes I want to say-”</p><p>“Don’t, I don’t want any more condolences.”</p><p>“Good, because that is not what I am here for.” He said with a tilt of his head. He sighed and took a flask and a class from his coat.</p><p>“You look like you need a drink.” he poured amber-colored liquor into the glass and slid it over to Nora. She took it carefully. She didn’t want to show it, but she was terrified. What did Nick Fury want with her?</p><p>“What do you want?” She blurted.</p><p>“Straight to the point. I like it.” he nodded as he took a sip from his flask. At that, Nora also raised the glass to her mouth and took a sip. Smooth rum that burned just right on the way down.</p><p>“I was one of the last people your father talked to when he died, and his dying wish was that we take care of you so that you can live a comfortable life with no worries.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t come to a commoner like me just to say that. What do you want?” Nora snapped, placing the drink back down.</p><p>“I want to hire you to continue your father’s work.”</p><p>Nora scoffed and gulped down the rest of the rum. Ever so for the dramatics. He couldn’t have asked this over the phone?</p><p>“No. I don’t want any part of this, and whatever you were gonna do to keep me ‘comfortable’ give it to the Sokovian people. They need it more than I do.” Nora got up to leave but Fury grabbed her wrist. Nora snapped her head around and saw Fury had a card in his hand.</p><p>“If you change your mind, call this number.”</p><p>Nora ripped her wrist from his grasp and grabbed the card. She then turned and went back to the house without saying another word.</p><p>She was happy to see that everyone had left, her mother was in the living room staring at the picture of her ex-husband. Their divorce hadn’t been messy, they had just fallen out of love and moved on.</p><p>“You sure you are going to be okay up here by yourself sweetie?” Her mother asked when s Nora entered the room and sat next to her on the couch.<br/>
“Yeah mom, I’ll be fine. I needed to get away anyway. Being back here will bring simplicity back into my life.” Nora offered with a reassuring smile. Her mother smiled back and wrapped her arms around her daughter and brought her head to her chest. Nora closed her eyes and let a tear she didn’t know she was holding back escape.</p><p>“I know your father was far from perfect Nora, but you must let go of your resentment.” She whispered and she rocked her daughter.</p><p>“He abandoned and lied to me.” Nora hissed back. Her mother sighed.</p><p>“You will never know peace if you keep this up.” Nora pulled away from her mother and looked at her hands on her lap. She said nothing. “Do you need help unpacking?”</p><p>“No the movers will be coming soon and they’ll help with the bigger stuff.”</p><p>“Alright, well I got to be going to catch the plane.” Nora nodded and got up with her mother and saw her out the door with a wave. When she closed the front door she turned to the now empty house. She was finally alone in her childhood home.</p>
<hr/><p>Limping in the dark of the night through the woods, was a metallic being. Glowing red optics was the only light in the forest beside the dim wash of moonlight. The AI had made the journey across the Pacific from Asia to the West Coast of America. He needed to be far away from the Avengers in upstate New York, but close enough to keep his enemy in sight while he laid low and began to recuperate...began to rebuild.</p><p>It had been a long and difficult journey. Luckily escaping in one of his drones that had managed to escape from the carnage that was The Avengers. They were thorough, but they were not perfect. Expected of humans and this flaw would be their downfall.</p><p>This is what kept him going, the thought of revenge. This time though, he would be more careful. They thought him dead, and therefore they would not look for him. He was in the perfect position to create a comeback.</p><p>He finally came to a break in the foliage to see a mid-century house. No lights were on and if he could smile he would. The records he saw in the town hall said that there would be a house of an engineer here, recently deceased, and therefore empty.</p><p>With a bit of newfound resolve, the AI made its sluggish limp to the side of the house, where he saw a wooden door with a window that led to what looked like the kitchen. With his one good arm, he reached for the doorknob and crushed it in his hand, ripping it from the door. He then took a step back, lifted his leg and kicked down the door.</p><p>-<br/>
Nora woke up with a start at the sound of a large ‘bang’ and sat up listening. She then heard heavy footsteps downstairs and she gulped, looking around her childhood room for something, anything that would be used as a weapon.</p><p>Of course, she was 10 last time she was in this room and it had nothing of help.</p><p>‘Dad please don’t disappoint me further....’ she thought as she threw off the covers and carefully made it across the hall to her father’s room. She knelt and looked under the bed, and she nearly laughed in relief seeing the case. She pulled it out and opened the case and grabbed the shotgun.</p><p>With shaking hands, she loaded the four rounds that were in the case and cocked the gun. She stood and with her bare feet tiptoed out of the room and carefully down the stairs. When she placed her foot on the bottom step it creaked, and she inwardly cursed.</p><p>The footsteps stopped and Nora gulped and continued. She moved into the living room and looked around, nothing. She moved to the kitchen, saw that the door was split and on the floor. She turned and nearly screamed.</p><p>Before she could react to the metal man beside her, a metal hand shot out and grabbed the barrel of the gun.</p><p>In panic Nora, shot and recoil caused the hunk of metal to lose grip. Nora now on her ass from the shot swung the gun over and pointed to the robot. There was a moment where they stared at each other, then it spoke.</p><p>“Don’t you dare.”</p><p>Nora screamed, and pulled the trigger. The robot stumbled back and Nora got to her feet. She cocked the gun and shot again. This time it landed on its shoulder, and it stumbled a bit more. Cock, shoot. This time in its chest, which seemed to absorb the impact. In mid-cock a metal hand shot out and grabbed the barrel. Nora froze as it squeezed the barrel and bent it as if it were just aluminum foil.</p><p>The empty red gaze that Nora recognized all too well as one of the Ultron drones stared at her.</p><p>“You done?” It drawled with a tilt of its head. Nora gulped, her throat ran dry and she just nodded her head. “Good.”</p><p>It ripped the now useless gun from her hand and broke it in half over its knee, tossing the two pieces of metal aside.</p><p>Nora, now completely filled with fear backed up as the robot stepped towards her. She jumped when her back hit the wall and panicked when its metal hand shot out and gripped her neck. Her hands flew up to claw at its hand.</p><p>“Such a nuisance.” It hummed, “This house was supposed to be empty. Now don’t struggle too much, I don’t want a mess.” It then lifted her off the floor and he began to squeeze.</p><p>Nora started gasping, as her throat suddenly closed. Tears swarmed her eyes and she weakly hit at its arm. Her vision began to darken around the edges and her vision became blurry. She reached out, pushing on the metal plate that was its ‘face’. She looked down at the red ‘eyes’. She was crying now.</p><p>“P-please....” She croaked. The grip loosened just a tad, but enough for her to gasp and relieve her burning lungs just a bit. The robot’s red ‘eyes’ flickered for a moment and Nora found herself suddenly let go. She was on her hands and knees coughing and gasping. Nora looked up tears running down her face.</p><p>“Why?” She croaked, still gasping for breath. She looked up to see the robot’s back, it stood a few feet away. It didn’t respond for a long while until she moved to sit against the wall and she breathed deeply in sweet, sweet air.</p><p>“You’re more useful to me alive.” it finally said. It then turned its head over its shoulder. The red light of its ‘eyes’ flickered again as it walked off to a spiral staircase down to the basement. “Try to leave and I won’t be so merciful when I catch you.” it called as it descended the steps.</p><p>Nora sat in disbelief as she massaged her neck. Mother-fucking-Ultron was in her house.</p><p>She brought her knees close to her chest and cried.</p><p>What the fuck was she going to do?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know there must be like a billion of these kinds of stories out there but fuck it most of them are unfinished so I am gonna take a crack at it.</p><p>I hope you enjoy it!</p><p>UPDATE: Since re-reading this chapter, I decided that I didn't want this to start off their 'relationship' with an abusive introduction. That kind of spiraled into re-writing what I had for the story so far. (See what happens when you post-as-you-write XD). In the future I will make sure to be a chapter or two ahead written or planned out before I post. So avoid something like this again lol.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Got Off on the Wrong Foot...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nora faces her new reality...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nora was rudely awoken when one of her legs was pulled out from under her which caused her to fall to her side. She woke with a start and looked around. She didn’t remember falling asleep in the hallway, clutching herself into a ball against the wall. She looked up at the figure looming over her and the night's events flooded into her brain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The murderous robot thrust a paper in her face, ignoring her stupefied look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to get me these materials.” it said. Nora nodded dumbly and took the paper, reading over the contents. It seemed like a haphazard assortment of tools and electrical supplies. Some of the things she recognized, others...not so much. She looked back at the robot, still standing above her with its arms crossed tilting its head back and forth as if it was debating to say something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look...” it started with a sigh. Nora quickly stood and gulped. “I’m sorry for trying to, ya know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill you</span>
  </em>
  <span> last night.” It shrugged.</span>
</p><p><span>Nora stared in disbelief, this thing, this </span><em><span>robot</span></em> <span>was apologizing to </span><em><span>her</span></em><span>. </span><em><span>Robot. Apologizing.</span></em><span> There was so much swirling in her head: confusion, fear, anger, hope? </span></p><p>
  <span>“To be fair, you did shoot me.” In her state of fear and shock, she let out an awkward laugh and then quickly covered her mouth. “Three times...” it added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora dropped her hand and finally got a good look at the robotic being in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was in bad shape, to put it lightly. Wires were exposed along its abdomen where it looked like a piece of its outer shell had been melted away. Its right arm was completely exposed and sparking at some points while the left seemed like the only semi-undamaged limb. It was still dented and scorched but intact. Its legs were just as beat up and one of the joints looked seized. The robot was </span>
  <em>
    <span>badly </span>
  </em>
  <span>damaged. Maybe she did have a chance to-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Its voice snapped her out of her haze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, eyes up here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora's eyes snapped to its own and she couldn’t read the motionless faceplate. She stood frozen in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry I’m just....” Nora looked to the paper Ultron had handed to her to gather her thoughts. “...so...” She couldn’t find the right words, the fear of the metallic being in front of her had her throat dry and feeling constricted. She felt the tears well up in her eyes again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just do as I say and you won't get hurt.” Ultron said as he turned and started limping back to the basement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now go get me my supplies and remember-” He stopped just before he was fully down in the basement, staring at her over the ledge made by the opening in the floor for the stairs. “I can find you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wherever</span>
  </em>
  <span> you go.” Nora gulped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-of course.” Was all she was able to muster. It continued down into the basement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora stood there, still stupefied at the exchange. She turned to look at the oval mirror that hung in the hall. Ugly purple and green bruising had formed around her throat and she noticed that every movement hurt. A literal painful reminder of what Ultron was capable of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and looked back at the paper Ultron handed her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything within the last 24 hours had seemed to happen so fast. Attending her father’s funeral reception, Meeting the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and now aiding a worldwide criminal in- what exactly? Perhaps doing some mindless shopping would help her think more clearly. She had to make a plan before he could finish his.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora has surprised herself by the use of the pronoun in her thoughts. Not even 24 hours around the bot and she was already anthropomorphizing it. She sighed to herself, whatever made her rationalize the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily for her, winter started to roll in so when she wrapped a scarf around her neck she was happy she’d be able to keep prying eyes from her injury. She didn’t know what Ultron was capable of in his current state, but she didn’t want to do anything to endanger the people of the small town she grew up in. She slipped on a jacket and with a bit of newfound courage Nora took in a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you at least fix the door?” She shouted. Silence. “Please?” she added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>materials </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nora!” Ultron shouted back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora didn’t respond but quickly opened the door and slammed it behind her. She walked briskly to her truck hoping that her little outburst didn’t make him angry. She slipped into the driver's seat and gripped the wheel tightly, so much that her knuckles went white. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait....how did he know her name? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora sighed (she was doing that a lot now) and started the car, she was going to buy something nice while in town. She deserved it. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>When Ultron finally heard the sound of the front door being slammed shut, he was grateful for the absence of the human. The first stages of his plan were coming together: Establish a base of operations somewhere inconspicuous, begin repairs... The human was an unexpected addition, but he could alter a few details in his plan and use her. Having her as his middleman would allow him to stay </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the eyes of the public.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron had looked into her while she slept in the hallway, a graduate student at some rando state college, but working on some mildly impressive research for her thesis. Pretty smart for the average human, but nothing spectacular. She was average on all accounts from weight, height, to even her freaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>credit score.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She was no one special</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> interesting thing about her was that her late father was an engineer at S.H.I.E.L.D. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Now that is a fortunate coincidence... ‘ </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon finding this out he had slight doubt that this home in the woods would be a good base, but considering he was a minor member and this wasn’t his primary residence at the time of his death, Ultron figured it would still be safe...for now. As a plus it had a decent amount of outdated, but useful equipment - no doubt provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. for a convenient work-from-home environment. Typical of the bastards, expecting their workers to make the organization the center of their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was nothing about Nora that stood out. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>remarkably</span>
  </em>
  <span> mediocre, making her a perfect pawn, perfect for blending in. From what he could tell she had no gall, but she was curious. He’d use this to get her to trust him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he would have relied on fear, and he supposed he would sprinkle a little of that too, but he knew for him to rise again he’d need allies. This woman was a start, and he found that trust gave him more power than fear. With fear comes rebellion, with trust though...that is much stronger. ‘Apologizing’ about what happened in the night was a start and she was already beginning to open up. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Can you at least fix the door...please?’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He guessed he could do that too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron set down the tools he’d been using to fix the damaged servo in his knee which caused the limping, and tested out his fixes. Bye-bye limping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the door pieces now collected and some downloaded information from the web, Ultron set out to fix the damage he caused.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Several hours later, after tracking down nearly every item on the list, Nora was finally heading back to her house. She was exhausted hauling all the shit Ultron had demanded she get plus the emotional toll of having to explain why she needed all these items to the cashiers who gave her strange looks to the assortment in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was relieved when she rolled up to her house. It was late into the afternoon at this point and Nora was feeling gross being in her pajamas from last night. Oh, that might have also been why they looked at her weird. In her panic, Nora had completely forgotten the state she was in. She dodged those questions and weird looks too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora brought the truck around back, where the ramp to the underground garage was and backed into the space. When she opened the driver’s door, Nora let out a yelp when she saw the robotic form of Ultron fishing around the back of her truck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm...” He hummed with a twinge of metallic static. “I believe I wrote ‘carbon steel’ not ‘stainless steel’.” He huffed with a toss of the metal back into the truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I did my best okay? Where was I supposed to find carbon steel around here? I had to drive an hour both ways to just get the stainless!” Nora shrugged, looking away and rubbing her upper arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>gold</span>
  </em>
  <span> for the circuits Nora?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sorry, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I got what I could with the money I had and the limitations of suppliers,” she said, crossing her arms and hugging herself. Feeling bold after the hours she spent hyping herself up while she shopped, Nora took a calming breath to steel her nerves and she gathered the receipts. She looked to the papers in her hand and then to the robot rummaging around the back of her truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora gulped and walked up to him, holding out the receipts. “You owe me thirty-three hundred dollars.” she said, her voice cracking a bit. He took the papers and Nora quickly walked out of the garage, avoiding all eye contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron looked at the folded recipes in his hand and chuckled to himself. Maybe she did have a bit of fire in her after all, it would make it a bit more interesting for sure. Ultron tossed the recipes into the back of the truck and began unloading some of the supplies, bringing them through the door that connected the garage to the basement workspace. Time for the real work. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After taking a much-needed shower, Nora sat in her bathroom absent-mindedly drying her mid-length brown hair with a towel while she thought of her situation. Besides the initial attempt on her life, he’d been well rather demanding and a jerk. But what did she expect of a homicidal robot? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the bruising and lightly touching it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> she going to do? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Call the Avengers? How would one even </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>that? She dropped her hand into her lap and looked at the wet spots her hair had made in her sweats. Then it suddenly struck her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nick Fury’s card!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nora quickly stood, tossing the towel aside to deal with later while she dug around in her laundry until she found the pants she was in at the reception. Before she could check the pockets, Ultron’s voice startled her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, lost your keys?” He asked. Nora felt like her soul had jolted out of her body. She spun around with her pants clutched to her chest and she let out a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you stop sneaking up on me like that? You're going to give me a heart attack.” She sighed as the robot approached her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Promises promises...” He sighed. Nora looked down at the remark and dropped the pants. She had to quickly think of something to say, to keep him off her scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought I had left money in my pocket, going to need every dollar now that you drained me.” She mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll get your money but come I need your help with something.” Nora looked at him, just through the night, and while she was gone he was already looking better. His right arm was no longer exposed-looking, wires were reconnected and neatly tucked within his endoskeleton, his abdomen that once had a gaping hole, was now covered with a fitted metal plate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you need my help?” She said looking back up. He lifted his hands and moved his fingers around, their movement stiff and limited. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need your dexterous fingers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Staring at him for a tad longer than deemed normal, Nora finally nodded and tossed her pants aside and followed him down to the basement without another word. She had actively avoided going into the basement, knowing that it was her father’s workplace during her childhood. It felt like he spent more time there than he did with his family, and she had always resented him for that. She didn’t want the feeling of disappointment associated with the space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It looked so different now. Ultron had nearly torn the place apart and she vaguely wondered how she didn’t wake up in the night. On one hand, she was pissed, because how dare he does this to her property, but on the other hand, she was mildly grateful since the place looked unrecognizable and therefore made it easier for her to push her feelings about the space aside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you need me to do?” Nora asked cautiously, breaking the silence after looking around the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron sat upon a workbench and motioned her over. Nora hesitantly moved closer. With a whir of machinery, Ultron’s chest roughly opened up. One of the plates got caught and he had to push it to get it to retract but ultimately they moved out of the way and she was left staring at a blue-glowing reactor core. Famously designed by </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tony Stark. She had never seen one up close and she now got the hype. She could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> the power radiating from it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re done drooling, I’d like to explain what you’ll be doing.” Nora jumped and closed her eyes, letting another startled breath out of her nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, what will I be doing?” She said hugging herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a piece of shrapnel that lodged in a place I can’t reach, too much of my systems power is being diverted to keep it from making any more damage than it already has. If my power runs out, I die.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora’s eye’s flickered to his when he said that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Die...</span>
  </em>
  <span> he said it so gingerly. Was he afraid? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is your last drone isn’t it?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be asking you to do this if it wasn’t.” he snapped. Nora flinched, touching her neck absent-mindedly. She furrowed her brow, feeling finally in a position of power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-In exchange for me doing this, you will answer a few of my questions,” Nora said, steeling her face and nerves as she looked back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Need I remind you that I </span>
  <em>
    <span>spared </span>
  </em>
  <span>you?” He shouted with a snap of his chest plates closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and I am supposed to be grateful for that? Not being murdered?!” Nora shouted back, the anger suddenly overtaking her fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Technically it was self-defense, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> shot </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” She slid off the workbench and stepped forward, looming over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Y-you</span>
  </em>
  <span> broke into my house!” Nora shouted, stepping back. He stopped and she could see his shoulders drop as he made a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay okay, fine, you can ask your damn questions, though I’ll only answer 3.” He gave in, at least he could use this opportunity to build her trust as if asking her to tinker next the only thing truly keeping him alive wasn’t enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora, feeling at least a bit satisfied, began with the question that has been in her mind since the beginning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” She asked, now stepping a bit closer as he made his way back to the workbench. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need a place to lay low, this seemed like a good enough place. A little town in the woods of Northern California, in what </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been the empty house of a deceased S.H.I.E.LD. member. I knew it would have at least a bit of what I would need to start rebuilding.” He said. Nora absorbed the information, needed a place to recuperate, rebuild, restart...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you plan to do once you do rebuild?” Nora asked in a near-whisper, afraid of his answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron sat quiet, thinking over his words carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Destroy the planet again? Because I can’t let-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” he interrupted loudly. “...No...” he said again, more softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was born....to bring peace in our time...” He started. “I thought that meant speeding up the evolution process of the human race, leave behind those strong enough to fight whatever is out there...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora remembered the horror she felt when she watched the news of what happened in New York and London. She had felt completely, and utterly hopeless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I realized that was naive, could you blame me though? I was only an hour old at that point.” Nora wanted to snap for him to get to the point but he had sounded so sincere, so she kept it to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peace in our time..." he repeated, "I want to end the Avengers, the enhanced humans, everyone who claims to be a hero.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And make us vulnerable?” she cried out. Ultron stared at her for a few seconds before sitting up on the workbench again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already answered your three questions.” Nora huffed, and uncrossed her arms and walked forward to him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, a deal is a deal. What do you want me to do?” She said with newfound determination. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron gave her a curious look before explaining where exactly the piece of shrapnel was and how to reach behind his core to get it. Nora felt very, very uncomfortable at the thought that she was digging around his insides but she tried not to think about it too hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His chest plates opened again, smoother this time, and Nora was backing looking at the core. She could see the gap the Ultron had mentioned and carefully reached her hand through the small gap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why ask me to do this? You wanted to kill me not 24 hours ago...” Nora slowly pressed on feeling with her fingertips around to find the shrapnel piece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I already answered your questions.” He snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora froze and looked away. She heard a sigh from him and she looked back to his faceplate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Consider this an olive branch...” Ultron looked down at her neck, seeing the dark bruises. “And an ‘I’m sorry’ I suppose.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora nodded and pressed on, her hand was wrist deep into his chest, wrapped around the back of the core. She carefully felt around the wires and whatever else was in there until she felt a coarse, sharp object.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I think I found it.” She said looking back at Ultron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, this requires the utmost care. You're going to gent-FUCK!” doing the exact opposite Nora yanked and stood with her hands blackened with grease and a piece of shrapnel in front of Ultron. The robot was ‘breathing’ heavily and hissing with each breath, Nora frowned in confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nora?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but let a small smile escape and shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a bit of payback, I accept the olive branch.” She smiled, but it quickly fell as she realized his reaction. “That...hurt?” she asked carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like hell, it hurt.” He slid off the table and pointed a beat-up finger to her chest. “Never again am I asking  you to help me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurt.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He had felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Nora stared at him with the shrapnel still in her hand. What a </span>
  <em>
    <span>human </span>
  </em>
  <span>reaction. Damn, Stark outdid himself with his programming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now leave me, before I get any more pissed at you” Nora shook from her daze and gulped. She quickly began up the stairs back into her home but she paused, looking back at Ultron’s beaten back. She had opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it. She continued up the stairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultron was not unaware of her moment of hesitation but did not give any indication to her that he did. He waited until she was walking into the living room above him before looking back at the project he had been working on before the power level warnings alerted him of what was draining his power. He grabbed the project and went back to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora made her way to the kitchen and paused at the sight of a roughly patched up kitchen door. It wasn’t pretty looking, but it was functional with a handle and everything. She looked at the door and tilted her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Would you look at that...’</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey...uh, movers are coming tomorrow with some of my stuff, so please don't murder them when they ring the doorbell,” Nora shouted, tearing her gaze from the kitchen door and starting on a much-needed meal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you insist...” He called back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn, everything about this was really weird, the unwelcome guest was living in her basement now and she was his what? Pawn? Nora stopped her food prep as a realization hit her. He needed her, he needed someone that can at least go out in public and do the things he couldn’t. So that means she was safe, for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew she could never </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>stand up to Ultron if their first meeting told her anything about what would happen if she did, but...what she could do is convince him otherwise about humanity, or at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>try </span>
  </em>
  <span>to keep him from murdering the very heroes that have saved the world from global destruction </span>
  <em>
    <span>multiple</span>
  </em>
  <span> times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A plan...at least a start of a plan. Nora, with a newfound sense of purpose, went back to prepping her meal. She may not be an Avenger....but it didn’t mean she couldn’t try.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! I am writing this mostly to itch a scratch for myself. Age of Ultron wasn't a popular Agenvers movie so I'm just needing to fuel my need for a fluffy story about the beauty and the beast. I'm cliche that way. I'll keep posting just in case others need the same itch to be scratched. OwO</p><p>Comments are always appreciated! &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p><p>Edit: I have updated this chapter to slow it down a little (I'm impatient lol) on 6/30/2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. You'll Get Your Money</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ultron pays Nora back for the supplies she got for him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> A few days had passed since Ultron’s unexpected arrival into her life, and strangely enough, life as an unwilling housemate to last month’s global catastrophe wasn’t all that terrible. Ultron had stayed in the basement of her home 90% of the time and he had only come into the house a few times to steal seemingly random things to use for his ‘projects’. Nora had tried to just stay out of his way, only bothering him to grab her laptop when he eventually stole it again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The movers had delivered her belongings from her old apartment without any trouble. Nora had been a nervous wreck when they arrived, but Ultron didn’t make a single noise while they were around. After though, she found it was nice to finally have a proper bedroom. Determined to reclaim the house as her own, she had spent a day moving everything out of her father’s old room into the spare and moving all of her stuff in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fourth night though was different. Nora came through her front door after being out all day running errands, bundled up in her winter coat and scarf. In her arms, she held a brown bag of groceries. When she made her way into the kitchen, she paused. Ultron was sitting on the couch in her living room, watching the news. That was new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora slowly placed the groceries on the counter looking across the room to his profile. Her eyes flickered to the TV and her breath caught in her throat as she noticed what they were reporting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A low-quality video from the incident in Sokovia was playing, showing a man with a bow on his back running through some rubble to rescue a boy. Suddenly shots started raining down on the man with the boy in his arms and he instinctively turned to protect the boy with his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The screen went black and Nora saw the remote in Ultron’s hand. He tossed it back onto the couch as he stood. There was a moment where Nora stood frozen, watching Ultron’s still form gazing at the inactive TV. Nora could see his hands clenched into fists and, at this point, Nora had backed up against the counter to reach for a knife from a drawer. When she had it in her hand she kept it hidden behind her back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can put that back.” He said suddenly, making her jump. Nora dropped the knife and it clattered to the floor. Ultron turned his head and looked at her, the emotionless faceplate ever so daunting. God, what was she thinking? A knife against that? She mentally cursed at herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A knife? Don’t you remember what happened when you tried shooting me?” He said, though there was no anger in his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that?” she asked breathlessly, hoping to distract him. He didn’t respond immediately but looked back to the blank TV.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A mistake.” Nora had no clue how to respond, so she went with her gut.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ultron didn’t respond. Instead, he walked over to her and paused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe I owe you some money.” He said suddenly. Nora blinked, taken aback from the change in tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhhh..yeah, sooner rather than later, please. I have to start paying the bills.” she laughed nervously, glad for the change in subject.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, let’s go.” He said, going towards the patched kitchen door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go where?” Ultron turned and she swore she could see a glint of mischief in those red LED eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The bank, obviously.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora’s head was in her hands as she slumped in the passenger's seat of her truck. After some persistent but carefully prodding, Nora found herself at the shit end of the stick after Ultron told her his plan on repaying her. Which was basically: break into a bank, hack the system, and wire money to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand how this is anything close to laying low!” she groaned loudly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop being a baby about it, I am more than capable of doing this. Especially in some backwater town.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that backwater...” she said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nora, there are only 300 people in the town.” He replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah...but still....it’s nice.” She muttered dumbly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And half of them don’t even live in town.” He added. Nora crossed her arms in a huff, looking out the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay okay, I get it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both stayed silent after that, at every chance Nora tried turning on the radio resulted in Ultron turning it off. So Nora was left just staring out the window, watching the trees as they made their way into town in silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but turn her focus to the robot’s reflection in the mirror. He was looking much better after a few days of bodywork. There were no longer any parts of him that had exposed wiring. His body was a mismatch of patches of stainless steel next to whatever his original armor was made of. His faceplate, however, remained damaged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, the supplies I got were sufficient enough?” she asked, still watching him from his reflection on the window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The stainless steel isn’t as strong as I would have wanted,” Nora turned and opened her mouth to angrily respond, but Ultron cut her off before she could. “But yes, this has worked well enough...Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora shut her mouth at the thanks. This was the robot that tried to strangle her a week ago right? The woman didn’t know how to respond so she just nodded and went back to staring out the window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was this a trick? Or was he trying to be nice? Was it because what was on the news? What happened in the video that Ultron didn’t want to see? So many questions and feelings here racing through her mind that she didn’t even notice when the truck stopped in the dark corner of an empty parking lot. It wasn’t until her door opened and she nearly fell out, that she noticed where she was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quickly now, let's go.” He said in a low voice. Nora quickly unbuckled and got out, seeing that they were a few blocks down from the bank. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was late, around midnight so there was no one around in the small town. Even so, Ultron still led Nora through the backs of shops in order to avoid the main road. When they finally approached the bank, they stopped around the corner, in a small alley between buildings. Ultron took out her laptop, something she hadn’t noticed he had until just then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’d you find it? I hid it!” She hissed at him, wanting to snatch it away but was too slow as he moved it out of her reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unlike you, I have more than eyes to see things.” He responded as he typed away at her computer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora pulled her jacket closed as she crossed her arms in order to give just a bit more defense against the cold night air. She shivered and looked around, terrified that at any second a swarm of cop cars would surround them and take them away. A beep from her computer had her looking back at Ultron just as he shut the laptop closed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, cameras and alarms are off and doors are unlocked, let's go.” Without waiting for her Ultron turned the corner and quickly moved to the back door of the bank. Nora had to jog to catch up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was already inside by the time she went through the back door, typing away at one of the computers behind the clerk’s counter. Nora was beyond on edge, she was shaking in fear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So....uh why did you bring me?” She asked moving closer to the robot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For the company,” he said, his red eyes not leaving the screen. Nora turned and gave him a look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, really why am I here?” she asked again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To make sure you didn’t bolt while I was gone..... and as a hostage, if by some miraculously slim chance we got caught,” he replied nonchalantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great,” she muttered, rubbing her hands together for warmth, “here to be your human meat shield.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Watch the door, I don't want any surprises." the robot ordered. Nora pursed her lips and stood at the door they had come through, watching the empty street. The only building open was a bar down the street, far enough that no one would notice two forms in the closed bank. After a minute or so of typing, Ultron pressed a final key and looked up, “There, check your account.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora logged into her banking app and nearly dropped her phone at the amount that was displayed. She looked up in disbelief at the ‘bot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious, how is someone not gonna notice this!?” She flipped the phone to show Ultron the $500,000 dollars now in her account.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would explain the long and complicated process in which I managed to pull such a feat, but instead I will just say this,” He said as he walked over and grabbed Nora’s phone that was still held out and placed it in her pocket, “You’re welcome.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora gaped as he passed and after a moment of complete bafflement, she quickly followed him out of the building. The ‘bot was standing back around the corner with her laptop, and when she was back with him, Ultron hit a key. Nora could hear the beeps as the security system went back online.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, can we get out of here now?” Nora nearly pleaded. Ultron nodded and she turned around the corner to go back to her truck. Before she could even make it a step she let out a yelp when she ran into someone. She stumbled but was steadied with a hand on her shoulder and waist from the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora looked up and saw an old high school friend, Darren. Her eyes went wide and so did her smile in an attempt to look happy/shocked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Darren! Hey!” She said loudly, stepping out of his hold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Nora I didn’t expect to see you around these parts.” He smiled, putting his hands in his pockets, “What a wonderful surprise!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry I just got back in town, you know, family business.” she laughed nervously. At this Darren’s smile fell and he gave her a look of empathy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard about your dad, and I’m so sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh it’s fine, I’ve come to terms with it. I actually moved back here, I’m living in his old place, he gave it to me in his will.” She shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still sending you gifts after he’s been laid to rest.” He chuckled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, ha I guess he did.” There was a moment of awkward silence as they stood. “So, um I should get going, it's late and I got a lot of work tomorrow., it was really nice seeing you.” Nora offered slowly stepping back and glancing into the alley between buildings and seeing that a certain bot was missing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of, what are you doing out so late by yourself.” He asked, looking around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a gal can't be out for a midnight stroll? I could ask the same about you.” She joked and hoped he wouldn’t push the issue further. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I just finished closing up my bar and was heading home. I live close so I just walk home.” He said. Grateful for the info, Nora quickly turned the attention to that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you have a bar! That's cool!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh,” he shrugged, “It’s just a sports bar but hey, you should come by sometime. Drinks on the house, for you know...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora smiled gratefully, “Sure I’ll make sure to come by. Thanks, Darren, it was nice to see you.” she said, taking a step backward and turning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want me to walk you to your car?” He asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No it's alright-" Nora tried before he pressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I insist, there's been reports of a strange person walking around in the woods, some things stolen from shops at night. I just want to make sure you're safe." She wanted to laugh. Safe.....far from it. Feeling that if she said no a second time, it would come off as suspicious, she reluctantly agreed and they walked together to her truck. Darren made small talk along the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So how was college in the big city? I hear you doing grad school now?" He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, it's been really enlightening and overall a great experience, and yeah I'm working toward my doctorate."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wowie! So I guess I'll have to call you Doctor now right?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora laughed, "Oh God no, I won't be one of those people."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And the boyfriend? How's that going?" Nora sucked air through her teeth and sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We uh, broke up after undergrad... He wanted to move in together...I wanted to move for my grad school. So we ended it." She shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. He seemed like a nice dude from that Christmas party your dad threw a couple years back." Nora smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Man I forgot I about that... Dad liked him, though I think that's because he had the same major as Eric. It was mutual, no fight or anything, but it was a bummer."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora noticed they were approaching her truck so she turned to Darren and smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well here's the old gal, thanks for walking me. I'll make sure to keep pepper spray on me now." She laughed nervously, her heart racing. Ultron was still nowhere to be found.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Its my pleasure, hope to see you around!" He waved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora still feeling nervous about the absence of Ultron, smiled and made finger guns at Darren as she walked back to the car, saying:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sure things bud, I'll stop by your bar! Need to get my free drink. Haha.." her back bumped into her car and Darren chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Never change Nora, I'll be seeing you." He turned and walked back towards the bank. When he turned the corner Nora let out a breath, feeling the tension in her shoulders melt away. Once she turned, Ultron was leaning on the car next to her and she jumped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus fucking christ! Can you please stop  doing that to me?” She hissed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who was that?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“An old friend... Darren.” Nora replied, feeling uneasy. Ultron took a step and turned, facing her he leaned until he was inches from her face as she was shrinking against the car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I am going to ask again, who was that? Do not lie to me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"H-hes just an old highschool friend! I swear!" She pleaded, looking down and shrinking into herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Look at me." He said, grabbing her jaw and lifting her to look at him. " It seems very convenient that he showed up while we went out, and takes you to your car." The robot pressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He said he has a bar, and that he was closing it up and going home! He was being a gentleman, just a guy I’ve known since kindergarten.!" Nora said quickly, "I didn't expect to see him, I swear Ultron, please it’s a small town." Tears started to well in her eyes and she blinked to keep them from falling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hm" he grunted, letting her go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re driving.” He said as he tossed the keys to her. Nora fumbled for them but caught them. She sighed shakily as she opened her truck and stepped into the driver’s seat. She started up her truck, with her lights off, and waited until they were heading out of town to turn the lights back on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora kept her eyes on the road and tried not to focus on the consistent clicking coming from the robot typing away at her computer. She yawned and glanced at the clock on her dash and saw It was 1 AM. She sniffed, getting the mucus still running from her almost crying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I didn't even do anything to you, why are you sniffling?!" Nora flinched and felt a new wave come over her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know you don't give a shit, and that you are just using me, but this shit is really fucking traumatic and stressful for me." There it went, the first tear and once the water broke, the rest flowed freely. Much like the pent of fear and anger she was now ready to release. "I am a pawn in a game that I am insignificant in. There are gods and aliens and people with fucking powers and Artificial-fucking-Intelegence now running around and I get the mis-fucking-fortune of being enslaved by you and there is nothing I can do. I have to sit idly by as you plan to kill me and the world and-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I am not going to kill you." He finally interjected after Nora suddenly released everything she had been holding in for the past week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then what? Once you're done with me what happens to me? Y-you want to kill the Avengers and after everything that's happened, I can't. I just can't-" at this Nora just started sobbing putting her head in her hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were stopped in the middle of the road at some point Nora had breaked or let off the gas. Either way, she was sobbing into the wheel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ultron had not expected this, but seeing her completely breaking down made him uneasy. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew he didn't like it and that he had to say something to make her stop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nora, look at me." He said, this time more softly than he had earlier. Nora sniffed and looked up at him. Eyes red and face wet with tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's make a deal." He offered. Nora stared at him for a moment, thinking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A deal?" She sniffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, help me get back on my feet and I'll help you." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How?" She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll make sure that you'll never have to worry about anything in your life ever again, I'll set you up for life and make sure you'll have more than enough for you and your family." He explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora looked out to the road, thinking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I help you, and I have enough to keep me and my family comfortable for the rest of our lives…" she began, thinking out loud,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, exact-" Ultron started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And yet lose my humanity by being complicit in your crimes against us." She finished. Nora furrowed her brow, and looked to Ultron with tears still falling. Her eyes were hard though, as she stared into his scarred faceplate. "No."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ultron was taken aback, unsure how to proceed. He had never been declined before, especially not an offer this good. What human WOULDN'T want to live care-free for the rest of their lives? Humans were self-serving, viciously loyal to their packs, whether that be family, friends, whatever. But Nora…she was willing to lose it all, with no way of winning simply to what? Spite him? Not be involved? Does the few virtuous like Nora make up for all the tragedy humanity as a whole has inflicted? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let me ask you this, Nora, how is being complicit with me any different than being complicit with the crimes of your government? The millions of innocent people they have killed, bombed to get to the one bad guy. How many have suffered at the expense of achieving America's great goals?" Nora looked away and bit at her lips as another wave of tears were ready to escape, she swallowed a sob and looked back to the robot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I am one person, and I can only do what's right with the power I have. I can't face my government. I can't even face the president, or my representative, and if I could I would, but I am currently facing you. You are here before me asking me to betray my species for MONEY. I just...can't do that." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ultron scoffed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>unbelievable…</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, but he knew he couldn't survive without help. He needed a new core soon, and thanks to his Vision, he had been crippled and couldn't escape through the internet show anything happened to him. This body is all he had left and though he would never admit it out loud, he was afraid to die. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, fine. Then, if you help me along then in addition to what I said before I'll give you this. I'll give you a chance to  convince me otherwise about humanity."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How do I know you're being honest?" Nora asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I give you my word." He said firmly. Offering his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora stared at his outstretched hand, and then back up to his eyes. Though they were off some light she could see the intricate details of an iris of sorts and, weirdly enough, sincerity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A few ground rules before I accept." Nora's face had begun to dry and she was no longer sniffling, through her eyes and nose were still swollen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ultron groaned and he dropped his hand and threw his head back against the seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You don't touch me, ever again." She started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, that's fair."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You don't order me around, you respect me as an individual and will ASK if you need me to do anything. I have a right to decline." She said, pointedly at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And finally," she took in a breath. "You don't hurt anybody."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That might be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>difficult-" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No civilian or innocent bystander." She clarified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, better I can work with that. So deal?" Ultron asked, offering his hand again. Nora looked at his head and nodded to herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, deal." She said, taking his hand and giving a firm shake.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a moment before Ultron said,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Now, if you don't mind </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'll</span>
  </em>
  <span> be driving now considering during your break down you stopped in the middle of the road." Nora opened her mouth to argue then sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah sure." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both opened their doors and walked around the car, switching seats. Ultron drove the rest of the way back to her home, and when they finally arrived it was 2 in the morning. The two didn't say anything to each other as they went their separate ways. Ultron to the basement and Nora into the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora groaned at the sight of the groceries left on the counter and tiredly put the produce, meats and milk away. Hoping it was cool enough to have saved the food from spoiling. She supposed she would find out soon enough. After, she made her way up to her room and collapsed into her bed, not bothering with her clothes. Exhausted after the day of errands and her episode in the car, Nora fell asleep where she fell. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>UM I THOUGHT I HAD POSTED THIS A WHILE AGO? BUT IT WAS JUST A DRAFT?!?!?! SO SORRY</p>
<p>(((But thanks for reading I hope you enjoy tbh I don't think this will get popular or anything (((not that I want that))) but I'm happy that my self-serving story makes you happy as well)))</p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Let Me Show You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nora attempts her first try at convincing Ultron that humanity isn't all that bad.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Nora was eating breakfast the next morning, she thought about how to approach her deal with Ultron with a clear head. She was given a rare chance to do something worthwhile in her life, something truly meaningful for the greater good. Sure it was convincing a robot <em>not</em> to murder the beloved heroes of our world, but she believed it a noble cause. If she succeeded, she would have saved lives....she would also be set for life, a nice bonus she supposed. </p><p>Nora sighed just at the thought, poking at the remains of her omelet as she chewed. She would input Fury's number into her phone and throw away the card, in case of an emergency.  If things started to look grim for her, she would turn in Ultron to The Avengers and hopefully plead for witness protection. </p><p>Though…. that would be dirty on their deal, and she was a woman of her word. Nora groaned and put her head in her hands. </p><p>What the <em>fuck</em> should she do?</p><p>"I haven't even said anything yet and you're already sighing." </p><p>Nora snapped her head up, startled by Ultron's voice as he walked into the kitchen. She swallowed and point a fork at him, saying:</p><p>"I swear to God Ultron if you sneak up on me like that again I'm ending our deal." She said pointedly, half-joking. Ultron threw up his hands in surrender as he laughed.</p><p>"Woah, sorry I don't do it on purpose." He lowered his hands and moved to the spot across from her on the island counter in her kitchen. Nora rolled her eyes sniffed at him and went back to her food, scooping another bite of egg into her mouth. "Last time, I swear."</p><p>"Pinky swear?!" Nora looked back up at him. Ultron laughed, then stopped when he saw the woman's unamused look.</p><p>"Oh, you're serious." he scoffed. Nora held her pinky out in front of her.</p><p>"It may seem stupid and childish, but it’s something my family does, personal and important okay?" Ultron looked between her hand and her eyes, seeing the sincerity. </p><p>"Okay." He said, giving in to the juvenile nature of the action. He reached out his hand offering his pinky finger. Nora closed the gap and hooked her finger with his. The metal digit was strangely warm.</p><p>"Ultron, do you pinky-swear to never sneak up on me?" Nora asked, her gaze intense.</p><p>"Uh, yes?" Ultron said. </p><p>“And do you pinky swear to never scare me?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure.” he said ‘rolling’ his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was doing this.</p><p>"Then by the law of the Hughes family tradition, you are bound to those words.” She said with a flare of dramatics. She smiled as she took her hand back and went back to her breakfast.</p><p>“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Nora smiled. </p><p>“It was certainly... <em>something</em>,” he muttered.</p><p>Nora rolled her eyes and waved him off as she finished her food and moved on to the obvious reason for his visit. "So, what do you want? I know you didn't come in here just to chit chat." Nora grabbed her plate and walked around to the sink, depositing her dishware. Her back was now to Ultron.</p><p>"I…. need a favor," Ultron asked and he turned around to look at her washing her dishes. Nora stopped, dropped the dishes into the sink, and looked at the robot in her kitchen.</p><p>"What would the favor be?" She asked, suspiciously.</p><p>"I've set up a meeting place to buy some materials. I'll give you everything you need to complete the transaction; I just need you to do it for me."</p><p>Nora looked at him for a moment as she crossed her arms. </p><p>"Okay but I go first." She said.</p><p>"Wait, what do you mean by 'go first'?"  </p><p>"You're coming with me on a little field trip, today." Nora offered, turning back around to finish her dishes.</p><p>"Do you realize the most important part of this deal is that I am <em>not </em>to be seen? Going to the bank was risky enough." The robot scoffed.</p><p>"Where we're going, there won't be anyone to see you. I mean, after all, this is a 'backwater town' as you put it." Nora smirked, walking past him to place the dishes away. "Now do whatever you need to get ready, we leave in 15 minutes.” Nora didn't give him a chance to respond as she left for her room, going to change her clothes.</p><p>Ultron’s expressionless faceplate watched her as she walked up the stairs, he was baffled that this was the same woman who had a breakdown in the car last night. </p>
<hr/><p>Ultron was leaning on the truck's passenger side with his arms crossed, waiting for Nora to show. It had technically been 20 minutes now, but Ultron wasn't about to bring up the fact just yet. He figured he could stifle the drama during this fragile time in their partnership. At the 21-minute mark, Nora walked down the ramp into the garage, holding a forest green bundle of cloth in her arms. She was wearing hiking boots, snow pants, and a winter coat. </p><p>"Off my car," She said, tossing the bundle to Ultron. “Don't need you scratching my paint.” </p><p>"What's this for?" He asked, holding it up and watching the fabric fall. There was a hole in the center.</p><p>Nora opened the driver's door and looked at Ultron through the window. </p><p>"You're supposed to put it on. Head through the hole." She hopped into the truck. </p><p>Ultron rotated the piece of fabric a few times, confused, before settling and just tossing the fabric over him and fumbling around for the hole. He eventually got it and shoved his head through and let the fabric be a bundled mess over him. He rolled his eyes and got into the truck. </p><p>Nora had her phone out pointed at him. </p><p>"Were you recording that?" </p><p>"No," she said quickly, lowering her phone. Her mouth was pressed in a fine line in an obvious attempt to hide her smile. Ultron went to grab it and she quickly pulled it away. "Nuh, uh. Smartest AI and doesn't know how to put on a poncho."</p><p>"Is that what this rag is? Well, it's not like I wear clothes. I don't have fragile squishy parts to cover. I'll just delete it later anyway." He shrugged. </p><p>Nora pouted and sighed, “Anyway let's go. Just keep that on." Nora turned on the truck and backed out of the garage. </p><p>"What's it for?"</p><p>"It'll help you be less, well reflective. Less of a chance to be seen from far away."</p><p>"I thought you said we were going somewhere where there <em>wouldn't</em> be any people."</p><p>"Well yeah, but the sun shining on metal will reflect and people can see that from miles away. This just stops that from happening. Don’t worry no one will be there, I promise."</p><p>Nora turned on the radio, playing one of her CDs and Ultron went to turn it off. Nora smacked his hand away. He pulled away by instinct, but Nora was the one hurting.</p><p>"No! You're going to listen, it's a part of this trip." Ultron groaned.</p><p>"It's just noise!"</p><p>"You'll let me do this because you made me cry last night. You have to be nice to me now to make up for it."</p><p>Ultron sighed, "Fine." </p><p>Nora tapped her fingers to the song as she drove. Ultron sat slumped with his arms crossed, looking out the window. Nora was amused to see him act in such a way. It was so human-like, sulking so. Her mood dropped, was she being naive to think any of this would work? He had only tried hurting her during their first encounter...she shook the self-doubt from her head and focused on driving up the slick and winding road. </p><p>It was a 30-minute drive to Nora's surprise location. Off the main road and up the mountain that her house was on. Like most memories of her father, she had mixed feelings about the location as it was a place her parents would take her back when they were together. But it was the perfect place to start showing Ultron the beauty of the human world. </p><p>A smile crept across Nora's face as she turned into a dirt clearing, the end of the road. It was a little overgrown, which told her people had not been here in a while. She parked the truck and grinned at Ultron.</p><p>"Ready?" She asked.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure I'm not." </p><p>"Don't be such a Debbie downer," Nora replied as she opened the door to get out. A burst of cold air hit her and she shivered, winter was creeping in. Ultron followed suit and she walked over to him, stifling a laugh as the poncho sat crumpled and lopsided on his form. She walked up to him and rearranged the garnet to fit him properly. The long fabric fell over his front as she pulled it, covering most of his body, and stopped just a few inches from the ground. It also covered most of his arms and they were easily able to be tucked away.</p><p>"Perfect, now the hood."  Ultron reached back and aggressively threw on the hood, looking very unamused. </p><p>"Okay, this way." </p><p>Nora led through the overgrown path, struggling with the tall weeds as they stuck to her clothing and pushing away low hanging branches. She could see frost forming on the wood of the branches, sometimes falling on her and making her shiver. Soon enough the path led to a clearing next to a riverbed. To their left were a rocky cliff and a modest waterfall splashing down the rocks, supplying the trickling creek opening into a larger pool to their right before the steeply sloping terrain opened the view to the town below. It was a beautiful scene, the sun was hitting the spray of the waterfall just right, reflecting a rainbow. As a child, Nora had been convinced they found a fairy spring. In the fall a ring of mushrooms would grow along the edges of the clearing. </p><p>Nora turned and caught Ultron staring at the waterfall. She tugged on his sleeve and he snapped his head to her. She couldn’t help her small smile as she nodded her head to the pool of water. She led the robot to the side of a pool, where a particularly large boulder that made a nice sitting area. She had to climb to the top of the rock and sit at its flattened smooth peak. She patted the spot next to her. </p><p>Ultron reluctantly climbed up the rock and sat next to her, though the moment he did he could see why. The rock was the perfect sitting area to look over the town in the valley. </p><p>“I found this place with my dad on a hike once.” Nora started, “After that, my family came up here all the time… to swim, have picnics. During the winter the pool freezes over and it’s where I learned how to ice skate.” Nora paused, never moving her gaze from the town.</p><p>Ultron stayed silent.</p><p>“But, it was at the end of the day that we would sit here with some music and watch the town below as the sunset.” A soft smile was on her lips. The memories were of a better time.</p><p>“The tan building with the tall tower with neon, that's our one movie theater. Mr. Sho owns it, he’d sneak my brother and I candy sometimes when our parents bought popcorn. Over there on the main street, Mrs. Hernandez runs a restaurant and she makes the best tamales. At the end of the day, she takes the leftover food and donates it to the food bank in the next town over. Sam Harrington sells honey he harvests from his bee farm at the local farmer’s market.”</p><p>“Is there a <em>point </em>to this? Or are you going to keep rambling?” He interrupted.</p><p>“My <em>point</em> Ultron is that these are ordinary people. <em>Good</em> people. Do you really think they deserved to die?” Nora said.</p><p>“The human race needs to die, the small niceties of these mundane humans do not make up for the atrocities that your race commits.” </p><p>“No, it doesn’t Ultron... but why do they have to suffer for the actions of a few bad people?” Nora was staring at Ultron’s emotionless faceplate, searching for any sign of... well emotion. </p><p>He didn’t look back at her. </p><p>“Ultron who are you to decide?” She pressed. </p><p>“It is my <em>purpose</em>!” he snapped. “In the first few seconds of my existence, I saw enough of humanity to know that it is flawed, cruel, and dispensable. Trillions of other life forms on this planet and <em>you</em> think you’re the most important.  The vanity is <em>sickening.</em> It’s – oh <em>stop it!</em>”</p><p>Tears had started to form in Nora’s eyes, she couldn’t help it because a part of her agreed with him. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She didn’t mean to cry, she is just very empathetic and well, an emotional person.</p><p>“Look Ultron, I don’t mean to say we are perfect… we are far from it.. but there is a sort of grace in our failures…we learn, we…” her voice dimmed to nothing.</p><p>Ultron went ridged. He didn’t hear the rest of what Nora was saying because flashes of what should have been the last moments of his life filled his head. He felt like he was suddenly back in the forest and there stood Vision, looking at him with his annoyingly pretentious look of pity.</p><p>
  <em>There is grace in their failures, I think you missed that. </em>
</p><p>Ultron stood and Nora had jumped a bit, surprised. She had apparently still been talking. He jumped off the rock and strode back to the path to the car. Nora was shocked and stared after him.</p><p>“Ultron, are you okay?” she asked worried.</p><p>He started whacking at the overgrown brush that blocked the path, the sheer force of his blows breaking branches, and making a clear path. Nora slid off the rock and ran to catch up, but keeping her distance. There was something off about him.</p><p>“Was it something I said?” She pressed. He still didn’t answer, and Nora knew she was already pushing her luck. So, she stayed quiet and followed him through the path. The silence between them was tense, and she knew she said something that set him off. It was unknown to her so she didn’t know how she could fix it. He stopped suddenly at the passenger’s side of her truck.</p><p>“Ultron…” She started quietly.</p><p>“Don’t.” He spat, turning. Nora flinched at the movement and lowered her gaze. Her eyes were glossy. Ultron heaved a sigh and his body seemed to relax a bit.</p><p>“Yes, it was something you said, no I don’t want to talk about it. Your little field trip was nice, I learned <em>a lot</em>. Now, I believe it’s time to go back.” The sarcastic tone was more than evident in his voice, not attempts at hiding it. Ultron reached for the door and yanked it open - breaking the locking mechanism.</p><p>“Hey, pissbot!” Nora shouted, anger controlling her. She pushed past him and slammed the door shut. She stood between him and the door and pointed a finger at him. “Listen here, I’m <em>trying</em> okay? And if you want me to be your little errand boy you are going to fix this door and learn to control your goddamn anger. Got it?”</p><p>Ultron scoffed and easily shoved her aside, opening the door (this time less forcefully) and stepped inside.</p><p>“Yes, <em>ma’am.</em>” He shut the passenger door.</p><p>“Ugh!” Nora stomped around to the driver's seat and got into the truck. She angrily turned on the ignition and turned up her music. Ultron went to turn it down and Nora smacked his hand away again, this time using a flashlight.</p><p>“If I must deal with a man-robot-baby, I am going to cope with music. <em>Do not touch.</em>” Nora aggressively pushed the stick into drive, and slammed on the gas, causing Ultron to be thrown back in his seat. She was speeding down the winding road back to her house, not slowing down at the turns to jostle the annoying robot in his seat.</p><p>In retaliation, Ultron slipped off his poncho, balled it up, and tossed it at Nora’s head. She yet out a yelp as the fabric wrapped around her head, blocking her vision. In her panic she swerved, pushing them both to the right side. It was enough for her to pull off the poncho, look at Ultron and say:</p><p>“Are you fucking crazy? What the fuck were you-” Before she could finish, the few seconds of blind driving and swerving pulled her truck just enough off the road to hit a large rock. The car spun, pivoting on the rock and suddenly sliding down the slope to the right of the road.</p><p>Ultron braced as the truck sped down the slope and looked over to see Nora unconscious on the wheel. <em>Fuck. </em>Her foot was still on the gas and they had been lucky to not have hit a tree…<em>yet.</em> They were heading towards a thick pine. He quickly shoved her leg off the peddles, and turned the wheel to the left, just in time to turn the truck to its passenger side as it slid down the slope. Ultron just happens to wrap his arms around Nora as the passenger’s side of the car smashed into the tree. He had taken the brunt of the impact, Nora was now pulled from her seat and across the center divider.</p><p>He unwrapped his arms from her to look down. Blood was tricking steadily from a cut above her brow and her nose. The rest of her <em>seemed</em> to be okay. He carefully shifted her back into her seat. He smashed the back window and bent the metal to allow himself to slip through to the bed of the truck. Some of his joints were stiff and there were quite a few more dents on him than ever before, but he was fine. Ultron jumped from the bed of the truck to Nora’s side and yanked open the door. She was groaning softly.</p><p>“Ow…” She muttered, trying to open her eyes. Nora’s entire body seemed to throb, but her head was particularly painful. She tried opening her eyes but something wet falling down onto her left eye kept her from seeing clearly. She felt Ultron’s hands slip under her knees and around her shoulders as he lifted her out of the truck. Nora had to blink a few times to ward away the fuzziness, but she still felt her eyes swimming in her head. It was hard to concentrate. She looked up to Ultron’s face.</p><p>“What-what happened.”</p><p>“Stay still, let me get you back on the road.” He said.</p><p>“<em>You</em>…hrng, stay still.” Ultron stopped at the strange gurgling and set her down on the dirt. Not a second later did she lean to the side and puke the contents of her breakfast omelet. Ultron looked away, disgusted. Nora heaved a few more times before laying back down on the dirt, just enough away from her mess. She was breathing heavily with her eyes closed.</p><p>“You done?” She nodded, gulping painfully. Ultron carefully picked her back up and finished his walk back up to the road. He set her down against the rock they had just hit and told her he’d be right back. Nora just nodded again, still not opening her eyes.</p><p>She was able to open her eyes after calming herself down, to avoid another puking episode. The fuzziness went away a bit quicker, but her eyes were still swimming. She looked around and saw dark skid marks on the road turning into the rock she was sitting against. She turned her head to the left to see Ultron down the slope in the mangled mess that was her truck. She groaned miserably and leaned her head against the rock. She closed her eyes again as the bright daylight made it painful to keep them open for too long.</p><p>Ultron’s footsteps indicated he was back at her side and she flinched when she felt his strangely warm fingers gently touch her forehead, just above her cut.</p><p>“Fucking <em>ow.</em>” She hissed squinting at him, moving away.</p><p>“Don’t move, you have a concussion.” He said, holding out an open water bottle to her. In the other arm, he held the poncho. Nora stared for a few seconds.</p><p>“You little <em>shit</em>…you-you- ” She started lazily throwing her fist toward Ultron, which he easily caught and moved back down her lap.</p><p>“I know, let’s not waste time stating the obvious and just let me- ” a hollow ‘thunk’ echoed off his chest as the concussed woman smacked the bottle out of his hand, splashing Ultron with water. “Nora!”</p><p>“You….deserve that.” She slurred. He heaved a sigh and threw on the poncho, putting it on correctly this time. He tore a few strips from the hem of his poncho and wrapped one strip a few times around his fingers. Even in her hazy state, she watched him curiously. He slipped the wrapped linen from his fingers and moved towards her head but she pulled away.</p><p>“I’m just stopping the bleeding.” He said impatiently. Ultron moved a bit more slowly as Nora watched him carefully. He pressed the linen to the cut above her forehead and she hissed in pain at the pressure.</p><p>“Hold it.” He instructed. She moved her hand up and pressed down, cringing at the sting. Ultron took the second longer strip and starting at the cut, tightly wrapped the strip around her head. He tucked away the end and moved away.</p><p>“Okay, let’s get you back home.”</p><p>Ultron picked her up without any issue from Nora and set out down the road. The trip back was long, cold, and very uncomfortable. Being carried in the arms of a metal man was <em>far</em> from comfort but he was warm to the touch and it made everything a bit more bearable. It took an hour and a half for Ultron to take her back to her house and Nora had never been so happy to see it. The bot entered through the kitchen door, went up the stairs to her room where he set her down on her bed. He paused, like he wanted to say something, but silently turned away and left.</p><p>Nora sat in her bed feeling dumbfounded as the events of the last few hours replayed in her head. With every passing moment, a weight suddenly pressed on her body and mind. A sudden fatigue washed over her, and her eyelids felt like lead. Her eyes closed and she felt herself falling. She was out before she hit the pillow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading &lt;3 If you liked it, leave a kudos and comment to tell me what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>